On A Subway Under Boston

Drawing by Kate Greenaway (1881)

On A Subway Under Boston

on a subway
under Boston
sat a kid in a ratty hat
with his finger in his nose

by the window
dressed in velvet
sat a girl from the Mississippi
and she squished
when she walked
cause her shoes were full of tears

and the kid fished out a marble
from a pocket
of his baggy pants
and he looked up
and he saw the girl so he fished around for two.

and he found lotsa garbage
in the pockets of his baggy pants
all sortsa things
he’d forgotten
had found their way there.

there were pumpkins
and grapefruit
and a couple of shiny hooks
blue horses
the ocean
and a starfish or two

there was seaweed
there were mountains
a tornado only slightly used
brass buttons and goblins
and snakes enough for two

three chuckles
some giggles
a box full of silly talk
a small book of drawings
and a left handed shoe

from the shoe
dropped a marble
blue and green and purple
and he grabbed it
and he gave it to the girl

and she looked up
from her squishy shoes
with eyes full of thank yous
and she said
thanks a lot
but it’s got boogers on it.

on a subway under Boston
sat a kid in a ratty hat
and beside him under Boston
a little girl with wrinkled toes.

Rick Mobbs 2008